Cadillac marks its return to Europe with its electric Lyriq

Cadillac will make a discreet return to Europe after years of absence with its new electric model, the luxurious Lyriq, its management announced on Monday. The brand of the American giant General Motors (GM) will launch this imposing SUV on March 23 in France, which is already on sale in Switzerland and Sweden. Cadillac wants to capitalize on its image of “American luxury”, underlined Jaclyn McQuaid, general manager of GM Europe, during a press conference in Paris. Launched in 2022, the Lyriq has sold around ten thousand copies in the United States and 5,000 units in China, where it is also manufactured. Its sporty silhouette designed by Frenchwoman Magalie Debellis and its 528 horsepower engine contrast with its weight of 2.7 tonnes. To offer an estimated range of 530 kilometers, the Lyriq is equipped with a huge battery (designed by GM) of 102 kWh, as much as the largest Teslas.

The Lyriq is “strong, proud. It is not made for someone who wants to blend into the landscape,” said Jaclyn McQuaid. Despite its 5 meters long, it remains “manageable” and could attract customers who were thinking of a smaller vehicle, according to her. And Cadillac has adapted it to the tastes of European motorists, notably by making its suspensions firmer. No price has been announced for France but it is listed at 916,000 crowns in Sweden (around 82,000 euros).

GM left Europe in 2017 with the sale of its Opel brand to PSA (now Stellantis). The latest CTS sedans or Escalade SUVs were sold by importers. The group is tiptoeing back, with an exclusively online sales model, “unprecedented for GM”, underlined Jaclyn McQuaid, and “GM will learn by doing”, according to her. After France, the Lyriq could soon be sold in Germany and the United Kingdom, Ms. McQuaid said. And GM should soon offer other models: the group does not intend to “sell a single car for very long” in Europe, the manager stressed. The group, a pioneer in electric with the Chevrolet Bolt, is struggling to transform the test. But GM CEO Mary Barra assured at the end of January that production of several models would increase, including the Lyriq and the GMC Hummer, and that new versions would be presented during 2024.